Apparatus for stapling sheets into pads



D. J. DE FRANCIS ETAL 3,380,639

APPARATUS FOR STAPLING SHEETS INTO PADS April 30, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed June 24, 1965 INVENTORS 50/2613 Domim'ck De James M. Foofis Louis I 512mfs,.$r. B

ATTORNEY April 1968 0. J. DE FRANCIS ETAL 3,380,639

APPARATUS FOR STAPL-ING SHEETS INTO PADS Original Filed June 24, 1965 a Sheets-Sheei 2 z\ I Q. ,m

1 I Q 1 N fi m w 3 I I l A i E I E c I James M. Foo/rs louis 7'. faatsfin ATTORNEY April 30, 1968 D, J. DE FRANCIS ETAL 3,380,639

APPARATUS FOR STAPLING SHEETS INTO PADS Original Filed June 24, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 45 Power Pack INVENTORS Dominik/r J flel 'almls James M Foo/rs Lou/ls 7T Jfaais, 51:

ATTORNEY United States AEPARATUS FGR STAPLlNG SHEETS MTG PADS Dominick J. De Francis, 413 Eastman Road, and lames M. Fooks, 31 Paschall Road, both of Wilmington, Del. 19803, and Louis '1. Staats, Six, Rte. 1, Lincoln University, Pa. 19352 Application .lune 24, 1965, Ser. No. 456,743, new Patent No. 3,248,033, dated Apr. 26, 1966, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 275,289, Apr. 24, 1963, Bivided and this application Feb. 24, 1366, Ser. N 0. 529,870

13 Claims. ((31. 227--4) ABTRAT F THE DESCLGSURE An apparatus for stapling sheets into pads including an electrically actuated anvil provided on one side of a staplin" station in transverse alignment with a stapler which is mounted on the opposite side of the stapling station for backing up and compressing a. set of sheets in said stapling station against the staple driving force during the stapling operation and for clinching the staple driven through the set of sheets by said stapler, comprising an anvil bar projectable into and retractable from said stapling station and a solenoid for projecting said anvil bar in transverse a ignment with said stapler and urging said anvil bar against said set of sheets while said staple is being driven. The anvil bar carries an inertia block reacting against the driving force of the stapler during the stapling operation. Also a resiliently compressible means is provided which reacts between the solenoid and the anvil bar to render the anvil bar self-adjusting in compensation for different thicknesses of material to be stapled.

This appdcation is a division of our co-pending application Ser. No. 466,743, filed June 24, 1965, for Apparatus for Stapliug Sheets into Pads, now Patent Number 3,248,- 033, issued Apr. 26, 1966. The aforesaid co-pending application is a continuation-in-part of our earlier application Ser. No. 275,289, filed Apr. 24, 1963, for Apparatus for Stapling Sheets Into Pads, now Patent No. 3,191,838, issued June 29, 1965.

The apparatus in accordance with our Patent No. 3,191,833 includes a trough-like holder having a loading station for receiving a set of juxtaposed sheets, a stapling station with one or more stapling positions, and conveyor means for delivering the juxtaposed sheets from the loading station against a stop in the stapling station so that the sheets are properly edge-aligned prior to stapling.

The principal object of the invention in our co-pending application Serial No. 466,743 is to structurally and functionally improve upon the apparatus of our earlier application, now Patent No. 3,191,838, one such improvement involving the provision of means for jogging the juxtaposed sheets at the loading station into proper edge-alignment and also into proper contact with the conveyor means, so that the properly positioned set of sheets may then be transferred by the conveyor means from the loading to the stapling station.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide a solenoid actuated anvil at a stapling station for coactuation with a stapler, such anvil being selfadjusting to automatically compensate for a difierent number of sheets and resultant thickness.

It is another object of this invention to provide apparatus for stapling sheets into pads including a holder for receiving and holding a set of juxtaposed sheets, an electrically actuated stapler provided at one side of said holder for stapling the set of sheets into a pad, and an elec- 3,33%,639 Patented Apr. 30, 1958 2 trically actuated anvil provided at the relatively opposite side of said holder in transverse alignment with said stapler for backing up the set of sheets against the staple driving force during the stapling operation.

It is another object of this invention to provide an electrically actuated anvil which is projectable into and retractable from the holder for a set of juxtapositioned sheets.

It is another object of this invention to provide an anvil which includes an anvil bar projectable into and retractable from a holder for a set of juxtapositioned sheets, together with solenoid means for projecting said anvil bar, and resiliently compressible means reacting between the solenoid means and the anvil bar to render the same-selfadjusting in compensation for different thicknesses of pads of sheets to be stapled.

It is another object of this invention to provide the anvil with an inertia block having suificient mass to react against the driving force of a stapler during the stapling operation.

It is a further object of this invention to provide elec tric control means for coordinating the operation of an electrically actuated anvil and an electrically actuated stapler so that the anvil backs up a set of sheets being stapled against the staple driving force during the stapling operation.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like parts, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the stapling apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view thereof, taken '71 the direction of the arrow 2 in FIG. 1;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical, longitudinal sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 33 in FIG. 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary, enlarged view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of the staple magazine;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary, enlarged vertical sectional view of the solenoid-actuated anvil;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary underside plan view of the anvil shown in FIG. 5;

FIGURE 7 is an elevational view of a modified jogging pulley; and

FIGURE 8 is a wiring diagram of the electrical components of the invention.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the stapling apparatus is designated generally by the reference numeral iii and, as in our aforementioned earlier application, embodies in its construction a horizontally elongated, trough-shaped holder 11 which includes a striplike bottom wall 12 and a pair of relatively high, closely spaced side walls 33, 14, so that the trough-shaped holder is relatively deep and narrow and is open at the top and both ends thereof. One end portion of the holder 11 constitutes a loading station indicated at 15, while its other end portion constitutes a stapling station indicated at 16. The upper edge portion of the holder side wall 14 is preferably curved outwardly as at 14 to faciirate insertion of sheets to be stapled into the loading station, it being understood that such sheets are inserted into the loading station through the open top of the holder.

An endless conveyor belt 17 passes around a pair of pulleys 18, 19 and the upper run 17' of the belt slides along the bottom wall 12 of the holder 11 in a direction from the loading station 15 to the stapling station 16, as exemplified by the arrow 20. The belt 17 is driven by an electric motor 21 through a reduction gearing 22 operatively connected to the pulley 18, the speed of the motor being controlled by a rheostat 23 in circuit with a master switch 24 and a fuse 25, as shown in FIG. 8.

It will be also noted at this point that the bottom portion of the holder 11 is widened as indicated at 12', so that the belt run 17 underlies the lower edges of the side walls 13, 14 to prevent any possibility of sheets being caught between the belt and the side walls of the holder.

Provided adjacent the stapling station 16 in the holder 11 are first and second stop pins 27, 28 which are projectable and retractable through apertures formed in the side wall 13, so that in their projected position these pins abut the side wall 14 but in their retracted position they are flush with the side wall 13. The stop pins 27, 28 are projected and retracted by individual solenoids 29, 30, respectively, contained in a housing 31 on the outer surface of the side wall 13.

Similarly, provided adjacent the loading station in the holder 11 is a stop pin 32 which is projecta-ble and retractable through the side wall 13 by a solenoid 33 i1 a housing 34 on the outside of the side wall. Also, a pair of juxtaposed micro-switches 35, 36 are mounted exteriorly on the wall 13, these switches having depressible actuators 35', 36, respectively, projecting into the loading station 15.

Referring again to the stapling station 16, a solenoi actuated stapler 37 of any suitable conventional construction is mounted at one side of the holder, for example on the side wall 14, so as to deliver a staple through an opening in that side wall into a set of sheets in the stapling station. A conventional staple magazine 38 is associated with the stapler 37 and contains a spring-pressed staple follower 39. In accordance with the invention means are provided for Warning when the supply of staples in the magazine is exhausted or nearly so, such means comprising either or both a suitable buzzer (not shown) and a warning light 40 in circuit with a switch 41 mounted on the magazine 38. A suitable detent 42 is provided, for example on the follower 39, to engage and actuate the switch 41 when the supply of staples in the magazine is exhausted or nearly exhausted, thus energizing the warning means 40. As shown in FIG. 8, the stapler 37 is energized through a suitable power pack 43, and if desired, the switch 41 may be double-sided, having a normally open side in circuit with the Warning means 40 and a normally closed side in circuit with the power pack 43 through a resistor 44, the arrangement being such that when the switch 41 is engaged by the detent 42, the warning means 40 become energized and supply of current from the power pack 43 to the stapler 37 is interrupted.

Provided at the relatively opposite side of the holder 11 (as on the side 13) in transverse alignment with the stapler 37 is an anvil unit 45 which includes an anvil bar 46 having one end portion thereof slidably projectable through an opening in the wall 13 into the stapling station 16 so as to back up the sheets in the stapling station against the driving force of the stapler 37 and to clinch the staple after it is driven.

The anvil unit 45 includes a supporting bracket 47 provided at the top thereof with an opening 48, and an inertia block 49, provided at the outer end of the anvil bar 46, projects through the opening 48 into the bracket 47, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. A stem 50 passes slidably through the outer end of the bracket and through the inertia block 49, having its inner end connected as at 51 to the armature 52 of a solenoid 53, mounted within the bracket. When the solenoid 53 is energized, its armature 52 is driven in the direction of the arrow 54, thus projecting the anvil bar 46 into the stapling station through the wall 13 to back up the sheets therein against the driving force of the stapler. However, it will be noted that a compression spring 55 is provided in the block 49 on the stem 50, this spring becoming compressed when the anvil bar 46 comes into backing engagement with the sheets before the solenoid armature 52 reaches the inner end of its travel in the direction 54. Thus, the armature is always able to complete its full travel regardless of the combined thickness of the sheets in the stapling station and the device automatically compensates for different numbers of sheets and the resultant thickness of the stapled pad. The inertia block 49 is slidable along a pair of guide rods 56 provided in the bracket 47 and suitable springs 57 on the guide rods serve to return the block to its initial position when the solenoid 53 is not energized. It will be understood that the block 49 has sutlicient mass to inertially absorb the shock of the driven staple, thus supplementing the force exerted by the compensating spring 55.

The operation of the various electrical components of the apparatus is controlled in a coordinated, cyclic manner by a control unit 60 which, as indicated in FIG. 1, may be contained in a separate housing and electrical ly connected to the various components by suitable conductors 61. A diagrammatic illustration of the control mechanism appears in FIG. 8, wherein it will be noted that the mechanism includes a timer control motor 62 driving a shaft 63 on which are mounted a plurality of cams 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71 and 72, actuating the switches 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81 and 82, respectively.

The switch 74 is the timer homing switch and is in circuit with the aforementioned switches 35, 36 in the loading station 15. The switch 75 is connected in series with the solenoid 33 which actuates the stop pin 32 in the loading station. The switch 76 is in series with the solenoid 53 which actuates the anvil bar 46 at the first position of sheets in the stapling station 16, while the switch 77 actuates the stapler 37 through the power pack 43 also at the first position of sheets in the stapling station. The switch 78 is in series with the solenoid 29 which actuates the stapling station stop pin 27. The switch 79 actuates the anvil 46 by energizing the solenoid 53 at the second position of sheets in the stapling station, while the switch 80 actuates the stapler 37 through the power pack 43 at the seecond stapling position. The switch 81 in series with the solenoid 30 actuates the second stapling station stop pin 28, while the purpose of the remaining switch 82 will be hereinafter described. A selector switch 85 is provided in circuit with the switches 77 and 80 so that a staple may be driven either at both the first and the second stapling positions or at the second stapling position only.

Before proceeding to describe the operation of the invention it should be noted that the aforementioned conveyor belt pulley 18 at the loading end of the holder 11 is provided on the periphery thereof with a plurality of fiat faces 18 so that when the belt is driven and sheets to be stapled are deposited into the loading station 15, the pulley 18 causes the belt to be jogged in a vertical direction, thus also jogging the sheets and causing their lower edges to come into proper contact with the belt. FIG. 7 shows a slight modification of this arrangement wherein the belt pulley 18a is also equipped with a radially projecting jogging lug 85, adjustably held in place by a set screw 86, whereby the amplitude of belt jogging may be varied as desired.

In operation, the master switch 24 is closed and the motor 21 is thus energized to drive the conveyor belt 17 in a continuous manner. A plurality of juxtaposed sheets to be stapled are then inserted downwardly into the loading station 15 so that they occupy the position indicated by the dotted lines S in FIG. 3 on top of the belt run 17'.

' Movement of the belt in the direction of the arrow 20 causes the leading edges S of the sheets to come in contact with the stop pin 32 projecting into the holder 11 and the jogging action imparted by the pulley 18 to the belt and to the sheets will cause the sheets to become properly seated on the belt as well as aligned with their leading edges against the pin 32 and their bottom edges against the belt. As the sheets are inserted into the loading station, the actuators 35', 36 of the switches 35, 36 become depressed, this causing the switch 35 to open and the switch 36 to close. The open switch 35 prevents the timer control motor 62 from being energized, but as the jogging of the sheets continues so that the leading edges S of all the sheets engage the stop pin 32, the trailing edges S" of all the sheets clear the switch actuator and permit the switch 35 to close.

With the switch 36 still closed, closing of the switch 35 energizes the timer control motor 62 which rotates the shaft 63 with the several cams 6472 thereon for sequentially actuating the several switches 7482. First, the cam 64 closes the switch 74 to keep the motor 62 energized independently of the switches 35, 36 for the duration of the entire cycle of operation. The cam 65 also closes the switch 75, thus energizing the solenoid 33 which retracts the stop pin 32, allowing the sheets to be conveyed by the belt 17 from the loading station 15 to the stapling station 16 where the leading edges of the sheets come into engagement with the first stop pin 27 as indicated at Sa.

The cam 66 then closes the switch 76 which energizes the solenoid 53, causing the anvil bar 46 to project into the holder against the sheets in the stapling station, whereupon closing of the switch 77 by the cam 67 energizes the stapler 37 and causes a staple to be applied to the sheets at the first stapling position. The switches 76 and 77 are then opened by their respective cams, permitting the anvil bar 46 to be withdrawn and the stapler power pack 43 to be recharged.

As rotation of the shaft 63 continues, the cam 68 closes the switch 78, thus energizing the solenoid 29 and retracting the first stop pin 27 from the stapling station. This permits the stapled sheets to be delivered by the belt 17 to the second stapling position wherein the leading edges of the sheets come into abutment with the second stop pin 28 as indicated at Sb. The switch 79 is then closed by the cam 69, again energizing the solenoid 53 to bring the anvil bar 46 against the sheets, whereupon closing of the switch 80 by the cam again energizes the stapler 37, causing a staple to be applied to the sheets at the second stapling position.

Thereupon the switches 75, 79 and are opened by their respective cams, thereby returning the stop pin 32 to its projected position, permitting the anvil bar 46 to be retracted, and the stapler power pack 43 to be recharged. The cam 71 then closes the switch 81, energizing the solenoid 30 and retracting the second stop pin 28 so that the completed pad of sheets, stapled at two positions, may be discharged from the apparatus by the conveyor belt 17 to a pad stacking apparatus such as is shown at the right hand side of FIG. 1 in the aforementioned application Serial No. 275,289. The last cam 72, actuating the switch 82, may be used for energizing a solenoid 83 for effecting the pad stacking operation which is separate from the stapling operation herein described.

Further rotation of the shaft 63 opens the switches 78 and 81 to return the stop pins 27, 28 to their projected position, and in the final phase of the operational cycle the switch 74 is opened by the cam 64, thus discontinuing the supply of current to the timer motor 62. The apparatus is then in readiness for the next cycle of operation.

While in the foregoing there has been described and shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, various modifications may become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Accordingly, it is not desired to limit the invention to this disclosure, and various modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

We claim:

1. An electrically actuated anvil means provided on one side of a stapling station in transverse alignment with a stapler which is mounted on the opposite side of the stapling station for backing up and compressing a set of sheets in said stapling station against the staple driving force during the stapling operation and clinching the staples as they are driven through said set of sheets by said stapler, comprising an anvil bar projectable into and retractable from said stapling station, and solenoid means for projecting said anvil bar in transverse alignment with said stapler and urging said anvil bar against said set of sheets while a staple is being driven.

2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 together with resiliently compressible means reacting between said solenoid means and said anvil bar to render the same selfadjusting in compensation for different thicknesses of material to be stapled.

3. The apparatus set forth in claim 2 together with an inertia block carried by said anvil bar and having sufiicient mass to substantially supplement said compressible means in reacting against the driving force of said stapler during the stapling operation.

4. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 together with resilient bias means for biasing said anvil bar toward a retracted position.

5. An electrically actuated anvil provided on one side of a stapling station in transverse alignment with a stapler which is mounted on the opposite side of the stapling station for backing up a set of sheets in said stapling stati-on against the staple driving force during stapling operation, comprising an anvil bar projectable into and retractable from said stapling station, solenoid means for projecting said anvil bar, bracket means for supporting said anvil bar and said solenoid means at said stapling station, said bracket being of rigid box-like construction and including a pair of parallel, spaced side walls, a front mounting wall joining said side walls at one end thereof, a rear wall joining said side walls at the opposite end thereof, a support web joining said side walls, rear and front walls and mutually perpendicular thereto, partition members extending inwardly from said side Walls and perpendicular thereto, said partition members lying in a common plane which is parallel to said front and rear walls, parallel spaced guide bars extending between said partition members and said rear wall and perpendicular thereto, means mounting said solenoid on said web between said partition members and said front wall, said solenoid means including an armature bar extending rearwardly between said partition members and projecting beyond said rear wall through an aperture therein, said web having an elongated slot therein intermediate said side Walls and extending parallel to said side walls, said anvil bar comprising an elongated anvil portion and an integral inertia block projecting from one end of said anvil portion and perpendicular thereto, said inertia block having parallel spaced bores extending therethrough for slidably receiving said guide bars, said anvil means being mounted on said guide bars so that said inertia block extends through said slot and said anvil portion extends toward said front wall, a hole extending through said inertia block for slidably receiving said armature bar, resiliently compressible means mounted on said armature bar between said inertia block and the rear end of said armature bar to render the anvil bar selfadjusting in compensation for different thicknesses of material to be stapled, and resiliently compressible means mounted on said guide bars between said partition members and said inertia block for biasing said anvil bar toward a retracted position.

6. In an apparatus for stapling sheets into pads, the combination of a holder means for receiving and holding a set of juxtaposed sheets, an electrically actuated stapler provided at one side of said holder for stapling the set of sheets into a pad, and an electrically actuated anvil means provided at the relatively opposite side of said holder in transverse alignment with said stapler for backing up and compressing the set of sheets against the staple driving force during the stapling operation and clinching the staples as they are driven through said set of sheets by said stapler, said anvil means being project-able toward and retractable from said stapler, and being urged toward said stapler in projected position against said set of sheets while a staple is being driven.

7. The device as defined in claim 6 wherein said anvil is projectable into and retractable from said holder.

8. The device as defined in claim 6 wherein said anvil includes an anvil bar projectable into and retractable from said holder, together with solenoid means for projecting said anvil bar, and resiliently compressible means reacting between said solenoid means and said anvil bar to render the same self-adjusting in compensation for different thicknesses of pads to be stapled.

9. The device as defined in claim 8 together with an inertia block carried by said anvil bar and having sufiicient mass to substantially supplement said resiliently compressible means in reacting against the driving force of said stapler during the stapling operation.

It The device as defined in claim 6 together with electric control means for coordinating the operation of said anvil and said stapler.

11. The apparatus set forth in claim 9 together with bracket means for supporting said anvil adjacent said on posite side of said holder, said bracket being provided with guide bars on which said inertia block is slidably mounted for linear transverse movement toward and away from said holder, said anvil bar being rigidly secured to said inertia block for movement therewith.

12. An electrically actuated anvil provided on one side of a stapling station in transverse alignment with a stapler which is mounted on the opposite side of the stapling sta tion for backing up a set of sheets in said stapling station against the staple driving force during the stapling operation, comprising an anvil bar projectable into and retractable from said stapling station, and solenoid means for projecting said anvil bar, said anvil bar including an elongated anvil portion extending in a direction toward said stapler, and an integral inertia block projecting perpendieularly from the end of said anvil portion at the end thereof remote from said stapler, said inertia block having an armature receiving bore, said solenoid means including an armature bar which extends through the armature reoeiving bore in said inertia bar, and resiliently compressible means reacting between said armature bar and said inertia block to render said anvil bar self-adjusting in compensation for different thicknesses of material to he stapled. 13. In an apparatus for stapling sheets into pads, the combination of a holder means for receiving and holding a set of juxtaposed sheets, an electrically actuated stapler provided at one side of said holder for stapling the set of sheets into a pad, and an electrically actuated anvil provided at the relatively opposite side of said holder in transverse alignment with said stapler for backing up the set of sheets against the staple driving force during the stapling operation, said holder including a pair of horizontally spaced upright walls open at the top of said holder and closed at the bottom by a connecting web, the opposite sides of said holder being provided with transversely aligned holes, said stapler extending through one of said holes into said holder, and said electrically actuated anvil including an anvil bar projectable into and retractable from said holder through the other of said holes.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,807,170 5/1931 Peterson 227--131 XR 2,381,075 8/1945 Nelsen.

2,698,159 12/1954 C-rurn.

WILLIAM W. DYER, J 11., Primary Examiner.

H. M. CULVER, Assistant Examiner. 

